Long-Term Debt |
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Sep. 30, 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt Disclosure [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt disclosure |
Long-Term Debt and Finance Lease Obligations
Long-term debt and finance lease obligations consisted of the following:
Senior Secured Notes
All of QVC's senior secured notes are secured by the capital stock of QVC and certain of its subsidiaries and have equal priority to the senior secured credit facility. With exception of the notes in the following paragraph, the interest on QVC's senior secured notes is payable semi-annually. The 3.125% senior secured notes due 2019 were repaid in April 2019.
In September 2018, QVC completed a registered debt offering for $225 million of 6.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2067 (the "2067 Notes") at par. The proceeds were used to partially repay existing indebtedness under QVC's senior secured credit facility and for general corporate purposes. The costs to complete the financing were deferred and are being amortized to interest expense over the term of the 2067 Notes. Interest on the 2067 Notes is paid quarterly in March, June, September and December. QVC has the option to call the 2067 Notes after 5 years at par value.
Senior Secured Credit Facility
On December 31, 2018, QVC entered into the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement with Zulily as borrowers (collectively, the “Borrowers”) which is a multi-currency facility that provides for a $3.65 billion revolving credit facility with a $450 million sub-limit for standby letters of credit and $1.5 billion of uncommitted incremental revolving loan commitments or incremental term loans. The Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement includes a $400 million tranche that may be borrowed by the Company or Zulily with a $50 million sub-limit for standby letters of credit (see note 1). The remaining $3.25 billion and any incremental loans may be borrowed only by the Company. Borrowings that are alternate base rate loans will bear interest at a per annum rate equal to the base rate plus a margin that varies between 0.25% and 0.75% depending on the Borrowers’ combined ratio of Consolidated Total Debt to Consolidated EBITDA for the most recent four fiscal quarter period (the “Combined Consolidated Leverage Ratio”). Borrowings that are London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") loans will bear interest at a per annum rate equal to the applicable LIBOR rate plus a margin that varies between 1.25% and 1.75% depending on the Borrowers’ Combined Consolidated Leverage Ratio. Each loan may be prepaid at any time and from time to time without penalty other than customary breakage costs. No mandatory prepayments will be required other than when borrowings and letter of credit usage exceed availability; provided that, if Zulily ceases to be controlled by Qurate Retail, all of its loans must be repaid and its letters of credit cash collateralized. The facility matures on December 31, 2023. Payment of loans may be accelerated following certain customary events of default.
QVC had $1.9 billion available under the terms of the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement as of September 30, 2019, including the portion available under the $400 million tranche that Zulily may also borrow on. The interest rate on the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement was 3.4% as of September 30, 2019.
The payment and performance of the Borrowers’ obligations under the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement are guaranteed by each of QVC’s Material Domestic Subsidiaries (as defined in the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement). Further, the borrowings under the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement are secured, pari passu with QVC’s existing notes, by a pledge of all of QVC’s equity interests. The payment and performance of the Borrowers’ obligations with respect to the $400 million tranche available to both QVC and Zulily are also guaranteed by each of Zulily’s Material Domestic Subsidiaries (as defined in the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement), if any, and are secured by a pledge of all of Zulily’s equity interests.
The Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement contains certain affirmative and negative covenants, including certain restrictions on the Company and Zulily and each of their respective restricted subsidiaries (subject to certain exceptions) with respect to, among other things: incurring additional indebtedness; creating liens on property or assets; making certain loans or investments; selling or disposing of assets; paying certain dividends and other restricted payments; dissolving, consolidating or merging; entering into certain transactions with affiliates; entering into sale or leaseback transactions; restricting subsidiary distributions; and limiting the Company’s consolidated leverage ratio and the Borrowers’ Combined Consolidated Leverage Ratio.
Interest Rate Swap Arrangements
During the year ended December 31, 2016, QVC entered into a three-year interest rate swap arrangement with a notional amount of $125 million to mitigate the interest rate risk associated with interest payments related to its variable rate debt. The swap arrangement did not qualify as a cash flow hedge under U.S. GAAP. Accordingly, changes in the fair value of the swap are reflected in losses on financial instruments in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations. The swap arrangement expired in June 2019. In July 2019, the Company entered into a three-year interest swap arrangement with a notional amount of $125 million. The swap arrangement did not qualify as a cash flow hedge under U.S. GAAP and the fair value of the swap instrument was in a net liability position of $1 million as of September 30, 2019, which was included in other long-term liabilities.
On December 31, 2018, QVC entered into a thirteen month interest rate swap arrangement that effectively converted $250 million of its variable rate bank credit facility to a fixed rate of 1.05% with a maturity date in January 2020. The swap instrument does not qualify as a cash flow hedge and the fair value of the swap instrument was in a net asset position of $1 million as of September 30, 2019, which was included in prepaid expenses and other current assets. Changes in the fair value of the swap are reflected in losses on financial instruments in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations.
Other Debt Related Information
QVC was in compliance with all of its debt covenants as of September 30, 2019.
The weighted average interest rate applicable to all of the outstanding debt (excluding finance leases) prior to amortization of bond discounts and related debt issuance costs was 4.5% as of September 30, 2019.
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